OH!!!! I clearly need sleep ... thanks - I do see NOW what she meant.

(I mean, you don't have to explain how I'm clueless! That part I know!) The threads that I see are jumping all around, and I keep finding new posts for threads that I'm not interested in - but those are moved to the top...and my replies/threads scroll right onto the next page.... I know that I can subscribe to certain posts, so I'm not talking about that. (I didn't like this format on SL, and .... well, I'm trying here!)

is that your student does the practice pages (or whatever they call them) and can remove those and at the very end of the program, end up with a booklet of all the grammar "stuff" they'll need. What I haven't liked (and probably don't really know enough about grammar to sort out) is that some of the terminology isn't the same as what I (we) learned in Easy Grammar (and maybe Shurley, but don't quote me!). Minor point --- so far, I've liked it. Dh is a linguist and he completely agrees with her approach that you don't have to keep beating grammar into their heads --- just learn it and review it and move on --- it's a finite subject!

trying many other programs!

(Where did my original post to this go?!) Anyway... I looked at a friend's old version, and decided I liked the newer one better (you are talking Science Explorer, correct?). I like the (inexpensive) workbooks that go with (I like the way they help to teach ds (11) to take notes, and read for content, by the way that they are organized) the books, and I've heard some say that they like the LabZone DVD. I haven't seen the teacher editions, but haven't felt as though I needed them.

Hey, Diane! Glad you're going to get going with TOG! You'll probably pass us (we're only on week 14 or 15, although we're on schedule with Science and Writing and Latin (sort of)).... Why are you Elinor Everywhere (I get the everywhere part!) - is there an allusion I'm missing?! Will you be back in your old house when you return? Grace

You'll probably get lots of answers from experts, but I'll chime in: this is our first year with TOG (Yr 1, Redesigned) and I'm really liking it. Ds is 11, and we're doing mainly Upper Grammar, with occasional Dialectic level work. When I went to print out the 3-wk trial (Ancient Egypt), it made me crazy, because it WAS so many pages --- but now that I HAVE it, it's a little easier to understand. Here's what's in there (as I recall - I don't have it right here): an overview of what's going on in the week you'll be doing a 2-page grid that has Church History/History/Literature/Crafts-Art 'stuff' and probably some things I don't recall. So you (for example) look at the level that your child is working at, and then look at what's written in the box next to the subject --- so, for example, we've been reading D'Aulaire's Greek Myths for literature/Upper Grammar level. The book suggestions usually have Dewey decimal numbers with them, so if you can't find a particular book in the library, chances are you can use a book that's next to it on the shelf. Then there are writing suggestions (for all levels, I think - I don't usually use this) There are answers to LG/UG literature questions (e.g., worksheets that they may have filled out for a book they read) There are discussion questions for Dialectic and Rhetoric levels. There are extensive teacher notes (many pages; a lot from World Book, but also other background info that helps you pull it all together, and know more than your student :) ) The student pages have instructions for geography and timeline work (iirc) and worksheets/graphical organizers based on some of the reading assignments. My son is not very hands-on, so we typically just skip a lot of the craft projects, and focus on the reading --- but you can definitely tailor the program to how your own children best learn. I can't really speak to the cost -- I happen to live in the same state as the woman who developed TOG, so a lot of the books are available through the libraries. I probably wdn't buy a book that was only going to be used for one week, but that's me! The main spine for year 1 is the Usborne Internet-linked Encyclopedia of Ancient History, but even that isn't used as you would use a textbook. I'm not familiar with Spielvogel, so don't know how that would work. I hope this was at least a start, and that other's with more experience will give you more answers!

The witty repartee will be greatly diminished, just because of the format....:( ... and I can't seem to get a post to "take," either - ah, well....